About

The Gray Havens NEW EP!

$23,467

471

backers

WE DID IT!!! First, a huge THANK YOU for all who have backed us so far on Kickstarter! As of last Wednesday, we became fully funded towards recording a new EP! AHH!!!!!

There are just hours left before our campaign ends. In that time, we are hoping to reach a total of $32,500 OR a total of 550 backers for SECOND EP!! It's crazy but it might just be possible to pull off. We have until the stroke of midnight this Friday evening. The only question is...you game? Cuz we totally are.

Ps. The graph above takes into account 2 individual backers who gave us close to $500 and $3,000 personally!! Craziness!!!

____________________________________________________________________

WELCOME!

Hello! Dave and Licia here. We are a husband-wife pop/folk duo called The Gray Havens (yes, a definite reference to LOTR). We've spent the last three years writing, recording, and touring across the country, making all kinds of wonderful new relationships and experiences along the way.

It's been exactly two years since recording our first ever full-length album, Fire and Stone. We were blown away by the support we received for this album, and feel like it's time to give our listeners something new!

Photo by Andrew Pak

THE PLAN

We're planning to record a 6 song EP (MAYBE two of them - see below) with Nashville producer Ben Shive (Andrew Peterson, Colony House, Ellie Holcomb). He's an incredibly talented and creative producer who we couldn't be more excited to work with!

In some ways, it feels very much like we've stepped into a new chapter of songwriting - each of our last two projects had some songs that Dave wrote during his college days, so we're really excited to begin a project where everything feels completely new. The songs were written mostly as a conversation between the two of us over the summer (during some "down time" after becoming new parents to our very cute and huggable baby boy named Simon- woot!). They have been written, re-written, agonized over, and re-written again to the point where they are finally ready to be recorded and shared with you!

THE GOAL

We are setting our initial funding goal at $18,500. We anticipate this number to cover just under two thirds of the total cost it will take to record and release the EP. Being an "indie" duo has its pros and cons. On the one hand, we don't have any labels or industry folks emailing us to voice their opinions on which creative direction we should or shouldn't take. We think this often leads to better records, as it allows a much greater level of artistic freedom during the recording. On the other hand, being an "indie" artist means you're on your own to fund the record. That's the beauty of Kickstarter - backers like YOU (hopefully!) become the label! :)

The entirety of the money (from our amazing backers and from us) will be going toward:

- Recording, Mixing, and Mastering

- Graphic Design/Illustration

- Manufacturing

- Publicity/Marketing

REWARDS!

If you take a look to the right, you'll see a list of carefully crafted reward tiers. Simply choose whichever one strikes your fancy! (but the coolest ones are, like, 4 or 5 down...at least).

*Most of these rewards are exclusive to this kickstarter and will not be available once the campaign ends!

As a fun perk, we've decided to give our backers ($25 tier or higher) a link to a sneak peek MUSIC VIDEO of our new song, "Shadows of the Dawn," a live one-take recently recorded (by the talented Evan Bourcier) in Ben Shive's studio. Shortly after becoming a backer, you will be sent a link/password to the video. No sharing! (unless it's with another backer). We hope it gets you excited for the full record! *As there is no way to set up an automated message, we will do our very best to send the link/password as soon as possible (unless it's very late and we are sleeping).

A SECOND EP!

We would be absolutely thrilled just to be able to reach our initial goal of $18,500. If there is still time at the end of the campaign, our CRAZY HUGE goal will be to FUND A SECOND 5-6 SONG SISTER EP, making a grand total goal of $32,500 for both projects. The songs for the second EP are in the works. It would be amazing to build upon the same studio magic we're anticipating for the first EP, and to get more music to YOU all the sooner!

*All backer tiers at the $25 and above levels will receive a digital download + a signed and numbered digipak of the second EP 2 weeks before it's release (no additional shipping or extra charges).

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit our Kickstarter page - we hope you will join us as we create what we hope to be our best album(s) yet!

____________________________________________________________________

REWARDS AT A GLANCE

Risks and challenges

From the moment we step into the studio until the release day (sometime in March or early April), we will be fighting a ticking clock. This isn't a bad thing, but it does create some urgency and high-pressure scenarios to everything we'll be doing to get ready for the release once the record is finished. We'll keep you posted with video updates from the studio, "on-set" at our music video shoots, and other fun updates like opening up boxes of the finished products (so excited to see the song map all finished!), etc... So, the challenge is to beat the clock to the release date in getting everything done on time! Ah!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $25 or more
About $25

***BACKER EXCLUSIVE!***

1. ACCESS to the link and password for the full music video of "Shadows of the Dawn," a new song on the EP! (link and password to be emailed shortly after you become a backer)
2. Limited edition, signed and numbered digipak!
3. Digital download of the EP two weeks before the release!
4. 1 Limited Edition TGH Sticker!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $75 or more
About $75

SONG MAP + LIVE STREAM!

We love maps. Maps maps maps! We commissioned the talented Aedan Peterson to create an illustrated, poster-sized, fold out map that incorporates themes from many of our songs (Far Kingdom, Inheritance, Sirens, Train Station, etc... as well as some new songs from the EP).

You will ALSO be invited to a private online album release show (you can come in person too if you want to come to Nashville, but you must RSVP beforehand) + backer exclusive t-shirt + signed and numbered digipak + TGH sticker + 5x5 print + digital download.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

SONG RECORDING. We will record an acoustic, stripped-down version of one of your favorite songs in our home studio, just for you. OR we will record a one-of-a-kind acoustic version of one of our existing songs, personalized and dedicated at the beginning to whoever you wish! + your name in liner notes + 2oz. TGH coffee + TGH bookmark + asong map + online concert access + backer exclusive t-shirt + signed and numbered digipak + 5x5 print + TGH sticker + digital download.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

ORIGINAL LYRICS COLLAGE. We have kept many of Dave's lyric sheets and sketches, from which we will be making a few collages, incorporating parts of the lyric sheets from every song. Signed, framed, and sent to you! + your name in liner notes + 2oz. TGH coffee + TGH bookmark + song map + framed handwritten lyrics + personalized Narnia or LOTR book + online concert access + backer exclusive t-shirt + signed and numbered digipak + 5x5 print + TGH sticker + digital download.